Lemmon Canyon (Upper East Fork)
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| | Raps:1-2, max ↨30ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:None Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:granite | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 20 May 2023
"We seriously underestimated this canyon and learned the hard way this is not a place to bring a group of beginners without wetsuits who aren't comfter |
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| Best season: | Spring, Autumn
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32.4165, -110.7987
32.4282, -110.7558
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Nearby photosIntroduction
A super fun, non-committing and technically easy route through some beautiful, sculpted granite with tons of huge boulders in the watercourse creating an abundance of rabbit holes, tunnel swims and little hidden chambers and pools. This route drops briefly into Lemmon Canyon but exits before getting to the big rappels which would commit you to the full route (usually done as an overnight). The hike in and out are long but mostly on an excellent trail with little elevation change.
Approach
Hike the AZ trail from Marshall Gulch TH to the drop-in.
Descent
Suit up on the big slabs soon after leaving the trail. The canyon is full of tiny slides and short drops. Most pools are quite shallow and full of rocks. Be careful when you drop into them about where your feet land. There are some ankle-twisters in there.
Two somewhat tricky downclimbs before the rappel can be navigated with LAPAR techniques. One of the trickier ones has webbing on a pinch at the pour-off that can be used to lower yourself down. Although the one rappel (30' from a pinch down in the chamber above the drop) could be bypassed, the enclosed pour-over into a chamber and then hanging pool are very cool and would be pretty annoying to climb back up into (though possible for good climbers). A couple somewhat challenging downclimbs and you're at the exit drainage.
Exit
Stay up on the slickrock as much as possible and you barely have to touch any bushes before you're back up on the trail.
Red tape
Need a Coronado National Forest pass to park at the trailhead (national park pass is accepted)
